Florida Politics - Campaigns & Elections. Lobbying & Government.

Associated PressDecember 29, 2014

Florida’s biggest story of 2014 was one of its latest. President Barack Obama’s mid-December move to normalize relations with Cuba beat Gov. Rick Scott’s re-election in an Associated Press poll of the state’s newspaper editors. Obama announced Dec. 17 that the United States and Cuba would open embassies in each other’s capitals, exchange ambassadors and […]

Associated PressDecember 29, 2014

Florida’s biggest story of 2014 was one of its latest. President Barack Obama’s mid-December move to normalize relations with Cuba beat Gov. Rick Scott’s re-election in an Associated Press poll of the state’s newspaper editors. Obama announced Dec. 17 that the United States and Cuba would open embassies in each other’s capitals, exchange ambassadors and […]

Daniel TilsonDecember 23, 2014

My 9-year-old now tells me Santa Clause is fictional. So, I’m sending my letter to someone real, or…well, someone who exists, anyway: Dear Gov. Scott (and please share with GOP colleagues), It’s that time of year. No, not time to instruct staff to delete leftover sensitive emails or texts from the past year. No, not […]

Associated PressDecember 23, 2014

It’s official: Florida has surpassed New York in population to become the third-most populous state in the union. Figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Census Bureau show that Florida has at least 19.9 million residents. The number is likely higher since the Census uses the population as of July 1 to create its estimate. New […]

Guest AuthorDecember 21, 2014

I will never forget that night. The salty sea air was whipping my face, mosquitoes were buzzing in my ears, my sweat-soaked shirt was sticking to my back and my pack was digging firmly between my shoulder blades. But I was focused, my eyes never leaving that shadowy, lumbering figure cresting the berm of the […]

Associated PressDecember 20, 2014

For decades, the politics of Cuba in Florida were simple: anything less than a hard line stance against Fidel Castro was a sure way to lose a race for office. President Barack Obama’s surprise decision this week to restore diplomatic relations with the communist nation is the surest sign yet that his is no longer […]

Guest AuthorDecember 16, 2014

In the 1800s Americans could legally smoke opium. Then Chinese people came to California and started taking jobs from native-born Americans. California couldn’t kick out the Chinese, but they could take away their their opium, and that’s when the state banned opium. Until the 1900s, Americans could legally smoke marijuana. But when Mexicans started moving […]

Phil AmmannDecember 11, 2014

A new report places Florida as the 32nd healthiest state in the nation. The report released Wednesday by UnitedHealth Foundation says that in the past year the percentage of Floridians who smoke decreased slightly, from 17.7 percent to 16.8 percent. The percentage of adults who binge drink also dropped, from 16.5 percent to 15.5 percent. […]

Daniel TilsonDecember 2, 2014

Gov. Rick Scott and his minions proved last week that they view middle-class Florida consumers as mostly slow-witted turkeys ready to be roasted to a crisp and gobbled up by corporate gluttons. While most of us were distracted by shopping, cooking, traveling and other Thanksgiving preparations, Scott’s hand-picked five-member Public Service Commission (PSC) voted to […]

Guest AuthorNovember 19, 2014

Here’s an interesting debate that I would love to see played out in Florida. In their desire to save lives and improve health, some communities elsewhere have raised to 21 the minimum age for anyone to buy tobacco. It’s led to a reduction in teenage smoking, although some folks worry that it’s another case of […]

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Cape Coral 7-Eleven after Milton. Image via AP.

Obama’s Cuba move voted Florida’s top story of 2014

Obama's Cuba move voted Florida's top story of 2014

Daniel Tilson: A Christmas letter to Gov. Rick Scott

Census: Florida surpasses N.Y. in population

Claire Gonzales: Ban plastic grocery bags to protect sea turtles

Obama’s Cuba moves reflect Florida political shift

Mark O’Brien: War on Drugs needn’t be a bust

Florida is 32nd healthiest state in the nation

Daniel Tilson: Team Scott makes it a happy Thanksgiving for Florida energy monopolies

Mark O’Brien: Raise smoking age to 21, save lives and money